Table construction



1962 O. P. KILLAM, JR 3,059,779

I TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l KENWAY, JENNEY, WITTER & HILDRETH Oct. 23, 1962 o. P. KlLLAM, JR 3,059,779

TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iaveniofl:

OZivefll? KlZZaazz, Je 6y KENWAY, JENNEY w ITTER 84 HILDRETH uiifiu negls United States Patent Q 3,059,779 TABLE CONSTRUCTION Oliver P. Killam, Jr., 269 Pleasant St., Marblehead, Mass. Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 3,186 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-137) This invention relates to table construction and more particularly to tables for business and scientific uses. The serving of such utilitarian functions requires that the table be of functionally conservative design and rugged con struction. The table comprising my invention embodies the essential elements required to serve the functions to be performed and furthermore embodies novel combining structures adapted to bind the table elements into a ruggedly secure and compact unit of simple and pleasing design.

More specifically, the table embodies two plane spaced legs supporting a table top on their top ends and plane cleats carried by the table top in face to face contact with the legs, a shelf and stretcher disposed beneath and parallel with the table top and secured at their ends to the legs, and all joined securely together at their contacting junctions by novel construction embodied in the invention and hereinafter described. The production of such construction and my improved table embodying the same comprises the primary object of the invention.

A further feature of the invention relates to novel supporting feet for the table legs and to the novel construction for locking the feet firmly to the legs.

These and other features of the invention hereinafter more specifically described will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in Which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table embodying my invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the table partially broken away and in section,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a table leg and showing the attached foot in sectional elevation,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foot, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary exploded view of the table.

In the drawing indicates a wood table top supported on the top ends of two plane and spaced wood legs 12. Secured to and depending downwardly from the table top and in face to face contact with the legs are two plane wood cleats 14. Each cleat and its leg are secured together by two bolt and nut fasteners each comprising a threaded bolt '15 extending through the cleat and having its head 16 countersunk therein and secured in a countersunk annulus 18. The bolt threads into a bushing 19 countersunk into a hole 20 in the leg and having a toothed head 22 drawn into butting contact with the leg.

Disposed in spaced relation beneath and parallel with the table top is a shelf 24 notched at 25 at its ends to receive the legs 12. The two end portions 26 at each end of the shelf are in face to face contact with the adjacent cleats and each is secured thereto by a bolt 28 like the bolt 15, extending through the cleat and threaded into a metal insert 30 seated in a hole 31 provided in the shelf in spaced relation from the end face of the portion 26, a hole 32 being provided in the shelf for receiving the bolt. Disposed beneath and in contact with the shelf is a stretcher 34 having its ends in abutting contact with the legs 12. A bolt 36, like the bolts and 28, extends through each leg 12 and through a hole 38 in the stretcher and into threaded engagement with an insert '40 in a hole 42. The bushing 19 and inserts 30 and 40 are threaded to receive their bolts. It will be apparent that the bolts together with the bushing 19 and inserts 30 and 40 provide strong and secure fastening means and that the contacting parts are joined tightly and securely into a unit when the bolts are tightened. The storage space between the shelf and table top can be partitioned as at 44 if desired.

Cooperating with and supporting each leg '12 at its base is a foot 46 preferably comprising a shell of cast and polished aluminum and having a hole 48 in its top face for receiving the leg. Each foot is relatively narrow longitudinally of the table top and relatively broad transversely thereof to provide widely spaced floor engaging areas 56 for giving secure support to the table. A horizontal flange 52 integral with the foot is provided at the bottom of each hole 48 for receiving and supporting the leg and each leg is secured to its foot by fastening means of the nature above described. Each such fastening means comprises two bolts 54 extending through the flange 52 and leg and into threaded engagement with inserts 56 seated in transverse bores as illustrated in FIG. 3. The inclined top portions of the feet are preferably ribbed transversely at 58.

An important feature of the table foot construction resides in a novel adjustment function permitting leveling of the table to hold it stable on uneven floors and prevent rocking, more particularly on tables and chairs having four legs. It is pointed out that the construction permits of the placing of packing of the required leveling thickness on the horizontal flange 52 at the bottom of the leg receiving hole 48. When the bolts 54 are tightened the packing is gripped tightly between the flange and leg and firmly supports the table at the required leveling elevation.

It will now be apparent that the novel fastening means embodied in my invention together with the novel table construction employing the fastening means provides a tight and secure joining together of the several elements into a strong and rugged unit construction particularly adapted to serve the functions described. Furthermore, my novel bolt and insert construction provides simple means for conveniently assembling the several parts and for tightening any looseness that may develop and also produces an attractive and ornamental assembly particularly at the exposed outer surfaces where the countersunk annulus 18 receives the bolt head thereinto substantially flush within such exposed outer surfaces.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A table comprising in combination, a table top embodying a solid wood slab having plane and parallel top and bottom faces, two plane and broad wood legs in spaced and parallel relation and supporting the table top in horizontal position on their top ends, two plane and broad Wood cleats rigidly affixed in parallel and spaced relation to and depending downwardly from the bottom face of the table top and in face to face contact with the legs, a plurality of threaded bolt and nut fasteners disposed entirely through each combined cleat and leg in countersunk position therein and binding the cleat and leg into a rigid unit, a shelf disposed in spaced relation beneath and parallel with the table top, and having notches in its ends receiving said legs flush thereinto, bolts disposed inwardly through each cleat at opposite margins of the adjacent leg and each in threaded engagement with an insert anchored in a bore in the shelf in spaced relation inwardly from the adjacent end of the shelf and holding the shelf ends in firm contact with the cleats and binding each combined leg and cleat into a rigid unit with the shelf, a stretcher beneath and in supporting contact with the shelf longitudinally therealong and having its ends in abutting contact with the legs, and a bolt disposed inwardly through each leg and in threaded engagement with an insert anchored in a bore in the stretcher in spaced relation inwardly from its adjacent end junction with the leg, the bolts having heads in binding contact with the outer faces of the legs.

2. A table comprising in combination, an oblong table top embodying a solid wood block having plane and parallel top and bottom faces, two plane and broad wood legs in spaced and parallel relation and supporting the table top in horizontal position on their top ends, two plane and broad wood cleats afiixed in parallel and spaced relation to and depending downwardly from the bottom face of the table top and in face to face contact with the legs, a plurality of threaded bolt and nut fasteners disposed entirely through each combined cleat and leg and in pressure contact against the outer faces thereof at the ends of the fasteners and binding the cleat and leg into a rigid unit, two relatively long and narrow metal feet extending transversely of the table and supporting the legs therein, each of said feet comprising a hollow metal shell open at its bottom face and having a top face wall with a centrally disposed leg receiving hole therethrough and a leg supporting flange carried by the shell beneath the hole and top face wall, and removable screw threaded means extending upwardly through the flanges and anchored to the legs for securing the feet to the legs.

3. A furniture leg foot comprising a one-piece hollow metal shell having a top wall with a centrally disposed leg receiving hole therethrough and spaced floor engaging surfaces therebeneath at opposite sides of said hole, a horizontal flange integral with and extending transversely across the shell beneath the hole for receiving and supporting a furniture leg, and screw threaded means including a removable bolt disposed to extend upwardly through the flange and thread into engagement with a member anchored to the leg for securing the foot to the leg, the removable bolt permitting the flange to receive packing thereonto between the flange and leg for adjusting the leg to required leveling elevation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 393,934 Talbott Dec. 4, 1888 549,869 Dryfoos Nov. 12, 1895 1,357,050 Hathorne Oct. 26, 1920 1,359,479 Angle- Nov, 23, 1920 1,482,205 Uhl Jan. 29, 1924 1,798,893 Myers Mar. 31, 1931 2,546,492 Booth Mar. 27, 1951 2,547,296 White Apr. 3, 1951 2,633,221 Roeder Mar. 31, 1953 2,671,002 White Mar. 2, 1954 2,672,391 Moore Mar. 16, 1954 2,719,771 Hoven et al Oct. 4, 1955 2,787,087 Whitman Apr. 2, 1957 2,947,586 Hoven Aug. 2, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,691 Norway Mar. 22, 1915 559,631 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1944 

